Wolverine Spirit: Unleashing the Heart of University of Michigan Athletics

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan women’s basketball team, ranked No. 24 (13-5, 4-3 Big Ten), will travel for a midweek matchup against No. 23-ranked Minnesota (17-2, 5-2 Big Ten) on Wednesday (Jan. 22) at 7 p.m. CST.

Notes

• U-M is on a three-game winning streak, securing victories against Purdue, Washington, and Rutgers during this run. Michigan has scored no fewer than 80 points in each of these games and made 10 three-pointers in contests against both the Boilermakers and Scarlet Knights. The Wolverines are 10-0 this season when scoring 80 points or more.

• The Wolverines have climbed back above .500 in Big Ten competition, thanks to their three-game winning streak. U-M is among 11 teams in the conference with a record exceeding .500 as the teams approach the halfway point of the Big Ten season.

• In the game against Rutgers (Jan. 18), four freshmen played significant minutes, with each contributing double-digit points. Syla Swords was the standout, finishing with 20 points for her sixth 20-point outing this season. Mila Holloway and Olivia Olson each added 13 points, while Te’Yala Delfosse provided 10 points off the bench. This marks the first occasion this season that four freshmen have scored in double figures during the same game.

• This game signifies Olson’s return to her home state of Minnesota. Olson captured two state titles in basketball at Benilde St. Margaret’s, along with a soccer championship in 2023. Both of Olson’s basketball championships were won at Williams Arena, as BSM triumphed in both 2023 and 2024. She is joined by Holloway (North Carolina), Jordan Hobbs (Ohio), and Alyssa Crockett (Indiana) as Wolverines making their return to their home states this season.

• Michigan is set to face Minnesota for their only encounter this season. In the previous regular-season meeting held in Ann Arbor last year, Minnesota emerged victorious, while the Wolverines took the win in Minneapolis during the Big Ten Tournament. Historically, Minnesota leads the series 36-33, but Michigan has prevailed in eight of the last 10 matchups.

• Michigan is aiming for its first victory over a ranked opponent this season after facing five top-10 teams. This season, U-M competed against (rankings at the time) No. 1 South Carolina, No. 10 Oklahoma, No. 4 USC, No. 1 UCLA, and No. 8 Ohio State. U-M has two chances this week, going up against No. 23 Minnesota on the road and No. 21 Michigan State (Jan. 25) at Crisler Center.

• Michigan is ranked No. 24 in this week’s Associated Press poll, marking the seventh occasion this season that the team has appeared in the poll. This is the 90th time that U-M has been ranked under head coach Kim Barnes Arico, accounting for 87 percent of Michigan’s total of 103 appearances in the poll.

• Michigan will meet Michigan State on Saturday (Jan. 25) in its annual Crash Crisler event sponsored by the Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital. Fans are encouraged to don maize as part of a Maize Out.